House Dechilé

A House Divided

In the North-East, House Dechilé is afflicted by a deepening schism that threatens their status as an Imperial House. The concessions of Imperial assimilation were too great for many in both the peasantry and the lordship. The exact reasons are too boring and complicated for a vague travel guide writer such as myself. If they won't let me back into the Historic Society at El-Plume then I won't burden myself with such tiresome matters as Cassus Belli.

Instead I will paint a picture: The rebels - clad in the blues and golds of the old Kingdom of Dexilon - cling to the mighty four-pointed star of Castle Dexilon, also laying claim to the surrounding island chain just off the Eastern coast of the mainland Dechilian territories. The Kingdom of Dexilon is not technically an imperial house, but neither did they officially abdicate any of their pre-imperial claims. So while Dexilon goes unrecognised, possession is ten tenths of the law after all, and the Dechilian loyalists know they lack legitimacy and mandate without the infamous island castle brought under their banner.
Almost as many folk inhabit the rebel-held isles as the loyalist mainland. To complicate matters, it pays to remember these "rebels" and "loyalists" were up until recently countrymen united. The grim reality is that many across the line are literal family. So far it has appeared that all generals agree: Even a single protracted battle would be too costly... But make no mistake, both sides keenly seek a swift end to the conflict in their favour.

Bound to the empire, negotiation options are almost nil for the Dechilian loyalists. They have no choice but to hold the line, their fluttering banners a burning Imperial red with blue and gold trim. They await reinforcements, trying to guess where a Dexilonic landing party might greet them before they can launch their own. Some islands the rebels hold are close enough that the smoke of their camps can be seen on the horizon from the eastern coast.

War and Opportunity

In no way do I mean to downplay the seriousness of the Dexilonic rebellion and its implications for the stability of The Empire, but if life and war must co-exist, then let's talk of what the Dechilé region and Dexilonic Isles can still offer that might interest the brave (and hopefully careful) traveller.

For one, there is no shortage of demand for mercenary work on both sides of the strait. While House Velpyrus has not officially marched on Dechile, the Imperatrice has been able to levy most of its armies pre-emptively, preventing any soldiers from being tempted by Dexilonic contracts, though at no small cost. A serious side-effect of a frozen Velpyrian army is that House Dechile has not been able to draw Velpyrian mercenaries into its own ranks and instead must wait for the much slower, much more difficult to house and feed Imperial armies.

Meanwhile, tension is building between House Velpyrus and House Ordonne, the latter of which has thus far remained neutral on the conflict. This neutrality has meant no official support for either side, no Ordonnic military support beyond increased garrisons at their own defensive fortifications, but also no restrictions on private trade or private mercenary contracts with either party. In fact, House Ordonne's anonymous councils, guilds, and courts do not have the mechanisms to implement such fine-tuned regulations by design. This procedural "quirk" is cited repeatedly in the Velpyrian courts, and thus far has countered any charge of treasonous intent, though Her Imperial Majesty is known to harbour a personal soft spot for the faceless House Ordonne and their mysterious Magic Circle. For the savvy traveller, this means that opportunities on the black market are incredible lucrative along the Northern Coast of Ordonnic territory, as well as all along the Dexilonic island chain, where neither Imperial nor local authorities want to wade into the fray, their hands already full with the threat of all-out war.

In theory Ordonnic neutrality should make little difference, but it is clear in reality that the Ordonnic public sympathy leans towards Dexilon. This has meant Dexilon has stayed fairly well-supplied via ocean trade routes in the North, where the Dechilian blockade is hamstrung by a hesitance to antagonise Ordonnic ships, for fear of provoking their powerful but otherwise passive neighbour. In a passionate speech to the Imperial Wartime Committee, the disembodied voice of a nameless Ordonnic ambassador remarked on the matter: "If the battle in the heart of an Ordonnic citizen is already decided, they may throw their body into the bonfire of war from any direction, for every Ordonnic is a stranger to absolute authority, and absolute authority a stranger to them."
If you are not a war profiteer, I will recommend the cafeterias run by monks around Grenelle in South-West Dechile who brew incredible ale, from spruce of all things! For solitude, visit the ancient pre-imperial ruins in the Southern Dechilian/Dexilonic Isles, which are mostly uninhabited today. Bring a pistol for pirates perhaps.